A key part of any manufacturer’s digital transformation is modernizing the monitor and control applications to deliver operational improvements and efficiencies that can increase production, reduce waste, and lower risk across an operation, including remote and edge locations. It also positions organizations to drive to the next level of smart technology and advanced solutions, often referred to as Industry 4.0. An Industry or Factory 4.0 strategy enables organizations to transform operations and leverage the data gained through digitalization to aid decision-making and further enhance operations and achieve objectives. Smart technology embedded close to the manufacturing process, including edge devices, gathers and analyzes data and converts it into meaningful information.
The challenge is how to ensure the reliability of applications and data capture to presort and contextualize data to get essential and actionable information to the appropriate person at the required time, regardless of where they are located. One way to accomplish this is to employ edge computing paired with advanced monitor and control technologies spanning from HMI/SCADA solutions used on the plant or factory floor to enterprise solutions that monitor and manage operations globally. These solutions can offer visualization of the data collected and stored on edge computing platform in a readily useable format, creating a new category of solutions that ARC refers to as enterprise visualization platforms (EVPs).